Radio telephone in which an off operation of an operator-activated power switch is inhibited during a talk mode

A method of controlling a radio telephone apparatus having a transceiver unit including a power supply and a radio circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

• turning ON said apparatus by operating an ON/OFF key, wherein said apparatus is turned ON solely in response to an actuation of said ON/OFF key;
• detecting whether or not said apparatus is in a talk mode on the basis of the detection of a supervisory audio tone signal transmitted by a base station;
• and
• inhibiting user-activated OFF operation of said power supply when the apparatus is in the talk mode.

A radio telephone apparatus comprising:

• a transceiver unit having a power supply and a radio circuit;
• a control unit having a receiver and a keypad;
• a power source key, included in said keypad, for turning ON and OFF said power supply, wherein said power supply is turned ON solely in response to an actuation of said power source key;
• talk state detection means, included in the transceiver unit, for detecting whether or not said apparatus is in a talk mode on the basis of the establishment of a speech radio channel by said radio circuit;
• a key operation state detection circuit, included in the control unit, for detecting whether or not said power source key has been operated;
• and
• control means, included in the transceiver unit, for controllably turning OFF said power supply when said talk state detection means fails to detect that said apparatus is in the talk mode and when said key operation state detection circuit detects that the power source key has been operated, and for controllably inhibiting OFF operation of the power supply when both said talk state detection means detects that said apparatus is in the talk mode and said key operation state detection circuit detects that the power source key has been operated.

A method of controlling a radio telephone apparatus having a transceiver unit including a power supply and a radio circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

• turning ON said apparatus by operating an ON/OFF key, wherein said apparatus is turned ON solely in response to an actuation of said ON/OFF key;
• detecting whether or not said apparatus is in a talk mode on the basis of the detection of a supervisory audio tone signal transmitted by a base station;
• detecting whether or not a switching operation has been performed to turn OFF said power supply;
• and
• inhibiting OFF operation of the power supply when the apparatus is in said talk mode even when a switching operation is performed to turn OFF the power supply.

A radio telephone apparatus having a radio circuit, comprising:

• a power supply;
• a power source line switch for supplying a voltage from a power source to said power supply;
• a power source switch for turning OFF said power supply and for turning ON said power supply solely in response to an actuation of said power source switch;
• first detection means for detecting an ON or OFF state of said power source switch;
• second detection means for detecting whether or not said apparatus is in a talk mode on the basis of the establishment of a speech radio channel by said radio circuit;
• and
• control means for inhibiting switching of said power source line switch to its OFF state by means of said power source switch in said talk mode and for allowing switching of the power source line switch to the OFF state only in a non-talk mode on the basis of detection signals received from said first and second detection means.

A radio telephone apparatus, comprising:

• a power supply;
• a transceiver unit for establishing a talk path through a radio link between said transceiver unit and a base station;
• a control unit connected to said transceiver unit through a wire line and having a receiver, a transmitter and a keypad, wherein an ON/OFF function of said power supply and a muting function which mutes a transmitted voice, are allocated to one key in said keypad which turns ON said power supply, and wherein said power supply is turned ON solely in response to an actuation of said one key;
• first detection means for detecting an ON or OFF state of said one key;
• second detection means for detecting whether said apparatus is in a talk mode or a non-talk mode through said radio link on the basis of the establishment of a speech radio channel by said radio circuit;
• and
• control means for performing said muting function when an ON or OFF output of said one key is detected by said first detecting means and said apparatus is in said talk mode, and for performing said ON/OFF function of said power supply when said apparatus is in a non-talk mode.

A radio telephone apparatus, comprising:

• power supply means for supplying the apparatus with electric power;
• an operator-actuatable switch;
• detection means for detecting an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch and for generating a detection signal in response to the detection of the actuation, wherein said power supply means is turned ON solely in response to the actuation of said operator-actuatable switch;
• establishing means for establishing a speech communication link with another apparatus over one or more radio channels;
• and
• power supply control means, responsive to the detection signal, for controlling the power supply means so that power supplied to the apparatus is initiated or terminated in response to the detection signal when the speech communication link is not established by said establishing means and so that power supplied to the apparatus is not terminated in response to said detection signal when the speech communication link is established by said establishing means.

A radio telephone apparatus, comprising:

• power supply means for supplying the apparatus with electric power;
• an operator-actuatable switch;
• wherein said power supply means is turned ON solely in response to the actuation of said operator-actuatable switch
• establishing means for establishing a speech communication link with another party;
• power supply control means for controlling the power supply means so that power supplied to the apparatus is initiated or terminated in response to the actuation of said operator-actuatable switch when the speech communication link is not established by said establishing means, and so that the power supplied to the apparatus is not terminated in response to the actuation of said operator-actuatable switch while the speech communication link is established by said establishing means.

A radio telephone apparatus, comprising:

• an operator-actuatable switch;
• power supply means for supplying the apparatus with electric power in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch, wherein the power supplied to the apparatus is initiated solely in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch;
• determining means for determining if a speech communication link is established between the radio telephone apparatus and another apparatus;
• audio input means for processing input audio signals;
• broadcasting means for broadcasting signals applied thereto through the speech communication link;
• and
• control means, responsive to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch, for continuing the power supply to the apparatus and controlling the magnitude of signals to be transmitted between said audio input means and said broadcasting means if the speech communication link is established.

A radio telephone apparatus, comprising:

• an operator-actuatable switch;
• power supply means for supplying the apparatus with electric power responsive to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch, wherein the power supplied to the apparatus is initiated solely in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch;
• determining means for determining if a speech communication link is established between the radio telephone apparatus and another apparatus;
• and
• control means, responsive to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch, for continuing the power supply of the apparatus and performing a function other than supplying the apparatus with electric power if the speech communication link is established.

A method of using an operator-actuatable switch provided in a radio telephone apparatus both as a power switch and a volume control switch, comprising the steps of:

• (a) supplying the apparatus with electric power in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch, wherein the power supplied to the apparatus is initiated solely in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch;
• (b) determining if a speech communication link is established between the radio telephone apparatus and another apparatus;
• and
• (c) continuing the power supply to the apparatus and controlling the magnitude of signals to be transmitted between an audio input means and a broadcasting means in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch if the speech communication link is established.

A method of using an operator-actuatable switch provided in a radio telephone apparatus both as a power switch and another function switch, comprising the steps of:

• (a) supplying the apparatus with electric power responsive to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch, wherein the power supplied to the apparatus is initiated solely in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch;
• (b) determining if a speech communication link is established between the radio telephone apparatus and another apparatus;
• and
• (c) continuing the power supply to the apparatus and performing a function other than supplying the apparatus with electric power in response to an actuation of said operator-actuatable switch if the speech communication link is established.

A method of controlling a radio telephone apparatus having a transceiver unit including a power supply and a ratio circuit, said method comprising the steps of:

• turning ON said apparatus by operating an ON/OFF key, wherein said apparatus is turned ON solely in response to an actuation of said ON/OFF key;
• detecting whether or not the apparatus is in a talk mode on the basis of the establishment of a speech radio channel by said radio circuit;
• inhibiting an OFF operation of said power supply when the apparatus is in the talk mode;
• and
• detecting whether or not a switching operation has been performed to turn OFF said power supply,
• wherein said inhibiting step is carried out by inhibiting the OFF operation of said power supply so long as the apparatus is in the talk mode even when a switching operation has been performed to turn OFF the power supply.